What “I Just Need to Play My Game” Really Says About an NHL Player
How often, after an NHL player’s team loses, does a reporter ask some version of the same question? “What do you have to do to get back on the winning track?”
The answer is often predictable. “I just have to play my game.”
It’s one of those hockey phrases players use all the time. Sometimes it means exactly what it sounds like: trust your instincts, don't panic, and do the things that have made you successful.
But there’s another question hiding underneath it.
What does an NHL player think “my game” actually is?
Is it something fixed that a player simply has to stick with? Or is it something that can keep changing, improving, and growing That gets us into the idea of a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset—and it applies surprisingly well to professional hockey.
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When “Play My Game” Becomes a Ceiling
For some players, “play my game” can become a shield. It can mean, This is who I am. This is what I do. I just need to keep doing it. That approach can work for a while. NHL players obviously don't reach that level without having tremendous talent and confidence in what they do.
But the NHL doesn't stand still. Defenders get faster. Coaches figure out tendencies. Opponents take away your favourite plays. Your role changes. Your body changes. Sometimes the league simply catches up to what worked a few years earlier.
A player who sees his game as a finished product can have difficulty responding. The problem isn't confidence. It's the belief that there’s nothing left to learn.
The Growth-Mindset Version of “Play My Game.”
Now imagine another player saying exactly the same thing. “I just have to play my game.” But what he really means is: I know what I'm good at, and I need to trust those strengths. But I also know there are parts of my game I need to keep working on. That's a completely different mindset.
For that player, “my game” isn't a finished product. It's something that keeps changing. Mistakes become feedback instead of evidence of failure. Coaching becomes useful instead of threatening. A difficult season becomes something to learn from rather than something to explain away.
The best players aren't constantly trying to become completely different players. They're usually trying to become better versions of the players they already are. That's an important distinction.
Quinn Hughes Is a Good Example
Quinn Hughes is a pretty good example of what that can look like. When Hughes entered the NHL, he was already an elite skater and puck-moving defenseman. But there were questions about the defensive side of his game. Instead of deciding that he was simply an offensive defenseman and leaving it at that, Hughes kept working.
He added strength. He worked on his defensive positioning, stick detail, angles, and reads under pressure. Each offseason became another opportunity to add something to his game rather than simply protect what he already did well.
As Hughes said in a 2023 TSN interview, he wanted to keep pushing himself and had “a lot of ideas” about things he wanted to improve. That mindset helped him continue developing and eventually win the Norris Trophy.
Hughes didn't stop being the player he was. He expanded the player he was. That's what a growth mindset can look like in hockey.
Why the Best NHL Players Keep Growing.
Hockey moves too quickly for players to stand still. The players who survive injuries, coaching changes, lineup changes, playoff pressure, and the inevitable adjustments opponents make are usually the ones willing to adapt. That doesn't mean they abandon their identity.
A goal scorer still needs to score. A shutdown defenseman still needs to defend. A playmaking centre still needs to create offence. But the best players keep asking questions.
What can I do better? What are teams taking away from me? What do I need to add? How can I make myself more difficult to play against?
Your Game Should Never Be Finished.
Maybe that's the real problem with the phrase “I just need to play my game.” There's nothing wrong with playing your game.
The mistake is believing that your game can't change. The NHL's best players know what they do well. They trust those strengths. But they also understand that yesterday's version of their game might not be good enough tomorrow.
That's why the most successful players don't simply play their game. They keep growing their game. And maybe that's the difference between a player who reaches the NHL and a player who stays there, adapts, and keeps getting better.